Desert Inn Golf Club, CLOSED 2002

Desert Inn Golf Club, is a Resort, 18 hole golf course located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Desert Inn Golf Club first opened for play in 1952. The course was designed by Lawrence Hughes.

The Desert Inn Golf Club is the only course actually located on the "Strip" and it boasts of being the only course in the world to host the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and the Senior PGA Tour.

Additionally, The Desert Inn Golf Club was home of the PGA's Tournament of Champions for 13 years. Obviously the PGA thinks highly of this course.

Surrounded by scores of exotic imported palm trees and tall mature native trees, the highly-rated Lawrence Hughes-designed course offers golfers fun, challenging, and incredibly beautiful holes. Water hazards border nine of the 18 holes on the 7,066-yard, par 72 course.

#1, at 490 yards, starts off with a long par 4, and sets the standard for the day, that being the necessity for well placed golf shots over, through, and around sand traps and skirting along water hazards. The first hole shares a 24,000 square foot green with hole #10, reminding me of a legendary Scottish Link course.

#2 once again crosses angling bunkers located directly in the landing zone from the tee. This hole and hole #3 are relatively short, yet deceptively difficult holes due to the strategically placed bunkers and protected greens.

#4 a par 3 is a classic. The undulating green ringed with bunkers makes club selection a key to success here. The green was recently enlarged by 50 yards making it quite possible to have a 130-foot putt.

#5 is the longest hole on the course, measuring in at 587 yards, making it a good hole for longest drive wagers because you've got O.B. on the right and a heavily tree-lined track on the left. To add to the excitement, once you get on the green, the challenge is far from over due to the multi-layered green.

#6 turns around and plays back towards the #5 tee box.

#7 a par 3 is truly beautiful. To land the green, you've got a long, almost 200 yard carry over water to a large, heavily bunkered green. Once again you could be faced with a 150-foot putt depending on where you land the ball.

#8 and #9 end the front nine with interesting, as well as difficult golf. The 450 yard #8 is the longest par four on the course and is accented by undulating mounds on the left and deep sand bunkers on the right. A good drive is crucial here to get a good approach shot through a series of swells in front and left of the green.

#9 hole is a beautiful and long hole. It is lined with water on the left that separates it from the 18th hole. Water comes into play once again 160 yards from the green when the stream bisects the fairway. The waterfalls and the lake provide a wonderful lush setting in the arid desert surroundings.

The back nine starts off with another long par five that dog-legs right with heavy bunkering in the landing zones. The front of the green and the right side of the fairway are guarded by intimidating water that will have you hoping you have a good short game. Funny enough, that same thought might pass through your head on the par three 11th hole as well, due to the nasty bunkers guarding the green.

#12, #13, and #14 are good par fours that place an emphasis on accurate tee shots due to the narrow landing areas, the angles of the dog-legs, the serious bunkering, and the out of bounds. Play these holes smart and you'll be all right.

#15, a par five is a tremendous hole requiring distance, accuracy and smart golfing. A long carry over water is required to reach the green in two, making it advisable to lay up on this hole or go really, really big. You decide.

#16, a par three, will have you thinking about swimming again if you are the type to be intimidated by water. The green is located 178 yards from the tee box, separated by a beautiful lake that is just waiting to eat up your ball. Be careful not to overshoot this hole because behind the green is not where you want to be.

# 17 is a difficult par four with O.B. and bunkers on the left and water and bunkers on the right. At 30 yards from the green, water bisects the fairway and makes this a demanding hole especially depending on where the pin is placed on the long green.

#18 is a great finishing hole as you are forced around a lake on the right with O.B. and sand on your left. Water cuts into the front right side of the green which is also surrounded with many bunkers, making the approach shot somewhat dangerous. Be careful not to overplay the green because there is a small stream very close to the far edge of the green.

Par for the course is 72. From the back tees the course plays to 7066 yards. From the forward tees the course measures 5791 yards. The longest hole on the course is # 5, a par-5 that plays to 587 yards. The shortest hole on the course is # 16, a par-3 that plays to 178 yards from the back tees.

Watch out for # 7, a 214 yard par-3 challenge and the #1 handicap hole on the course. The easiest hole is # 12, a 413 yard par-4.

The Las Vegas Strip is crowded with big income producing. Land on or near Thee Strip is valuable and hard to come by. When you have a parcel of land worth billions of dollars dedicated to the not-nearly-so-profitable game of golf, well, the numbers just didn't add up.

The Desert Inn Golf Club closed in 2002.